Lion's Arch has had a hard week. Since its destruction as part of Guild Wars 2's Escape from Lion's Arch update, the game's capital city has been beset by baddies, filled by toxic miasma, and periodically populated by players on a map-wide hunt for loot. The next update, Battle for Lion's Arch, will encourage those players to take the offensive. A teaser trailer released by ArenaNet sets up the assault, and hints at what they're calling "the final battle".
"With the next living world release 'Battle for Lion's Arch' on the horizon and slated for 4th March, players can begin the journey that readies them to take the war to Scarlet," explains a press release sent out by ArenaNet. While the action is staying in the destroyed Lion's Arch, it seems the focus is shifting away from the civilian rescue of the last update, and towards a full-scale fight. Exactly what players will be attacking isn't yet clear but, if I was to speculate, I'd say the city's new giant hovering drill would make a pretty good target.
At the end of last year, ArenaNet's Colin Johanson announced that there were four more releases left in the first season of the Living World. By my count, Battle for Lion's Arch is that fourth release, suggesting that this could be the end of arch-villain Scarlet Briar's story.
To help new players catch up with that story, ArenaNet have also released the Living World Atlas . It's an interactive world map with audio, pictures and video, summarising the last year-and-a-bit of Guild Wars 2 updates.
The Battle for Lion's Arch will begin on March 4th.
